The Drifter pale poured an amber color with a good 1-2 finger foam head. It had some nice webbing on the sides of the glass and retention was moderate.

The smell was good and reminded me of the brrr. It must be the same hop profile coming to mind. Brrr was a great surprise and led me to buy some more Widmer products. I am thinking it is the summit hop which seems so new to the nose. You get grapefruit light aroma.

The taste was light and had a decent malt profile with a light tinge of bitterness. It is listed at 32 ibu's and doesn't make much of a fuss that way. It was lemony on the tongue with that grapefruit and well carbonated. Overall a unique and pretty darn good APA. (684 characters)

Really tasty beer. Nicely hoppy for an APA...has a moderately astringent quality that wipes off your tongue leaving you wanting another drink. Brings a citrus vibe in both the smell and the flavor. This beer can double as both a cold day and a hot day quencher, I think the balance and dance between the hops and malt help make this dualistic appreciation possible.

Pleasantly surprised to find this kind of output from widmer. I poured it from the bottle into my chalice. The head didn't stick around for that long, the beer had a nice clear, slightly ruby hue. The smells were the highlight of the beer for me, without looking i would guess it was some combo of west coast hops. Very nice. The taste was nice because the hops came through initially but it was a surprisingly balanced pale. The nose prepared me for a near ipa style, but it was nice to have the balance between the hops and the malt. The mouthfeel definitely fit the style, and i felt like i could definitly drink a few more of these upon finishing. Spot on widmer...spot on. (677 characters)

-Nice amber color.. dark copper.. minimal to no head with slight lacing.

-Great smell.. a very citrusy and piney hop.. with a sweet caramel sent of rich malt.

-Tastes much the same as it smells.. not very bitter, but still is to a slight extent.. with some pine and citrus. Took that dry-hopping to get it i'm sure. Nice malt character and well balanced. I suppose it's the 'well balanced' that doesn't make this an IPA?

-Malty aftertaste and doesn't leave too dry. A bit on the weak side.. so a bit watery.. but it's a pale so... very drinkable and quite good. Would love to see a summit hopped Imperial IPA. Reminds me of the 3-time dry-hopped Workhorse IPA from Laurelwood... but much more mild and store-shelf ready. (779 characters)

Pours a nice amber color with a one finger head and some light lacing. Aroma has a nice citrus character, mostly orange, some light pine and a certain malty sweetness. Taste is very similar to the nose. Plenty of orange juiciness, bitter grapefruit, and a solid malt backbone. Medium bodied, light carbonation. This is a pretty good pale ale, though it's not an everyday drinker like SN. Very drinkable and enjoyable, though. (425 characters)

Got from lonestarbev - many thanks! Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Front label had the bottled on date (Dec 16 08). Cool bottle. It was a hazy orange amber color with tons of carb and good lacing. It had an average off white head that settled into wisps and a collar.

The aroma was good and was citric and pine from the Summit hops. The taste was pretty solid. Starts off strong and then finishes with a good hop bite. Doesn't tear up the tongue so could have a couple per sitting. Good carb in the mouthfeel as well.

Overall, a pretty good beer. Probably the best Widmer that I've had yet. Nice change up in the APA space for me. Not sure I'd buy many six packs but could see grabbing a few singles or having on tap or taking one if offered out of someone else's stash. Recommend. (797 characters)

T: Primary flavor is fresh, piney hops, very floral. Sweet maltiness nicely counterpoints this flavor without diminishing it. This beer is for hops lovers. The local availability of fresh hops would account for the very bright floral character of this beer.

M: Light mouthfeel, medium carbonation.

D: As a hoppy pale ale lover (note beer-style bias disclaimer) I consider this a session beer. Those that do not share a similar taste for lots-o-hops may strongly disagree. I would expect this beer to compliment many foods with shellfish topping my list.

Full amber with a modest white head from a gentle pour. Fair amount of lacings. Aroma of citrus hops. Taste is citrus orange pinapple with a sweet caramel malt. It does have a moderate amount of hops bitterness and an IBU of 32. A very drinkable, slightly sweet Pale Ale. (271 characters)

A: Pours a murky reddish/brown color. A very small white cap forms and leaves light patchy lace.S: Citrus and piney hops. Fruity aromas of orange and lemon peal. A malty sweetness balances out the nose. Very enjoyable.T: Follows the nose. At first a fruity and citrus hop bitterness. Sweet caramel malt for balance. A lingering hoppy bitterness in the finish.M/D: A medium body, but thin and watery. Over carbonated for my tastes. Smooth and easy to drink. I quaffed a few of these at the bar.

Enjoyable and balanced is the name of the game. I would recommend this. (569 characters)

Appearance/Smell - Appears amber with an orange hue, and a thin head that's basically just a ring. Quickly reduces to a broken ring as well, has lite-medium carbonation and leaves some spotty lacing. Smells of pungent to mild pine and citrus notes, but more on the mild side. Wonderfully fruity pineapple and raisin aromas. Lots of hops, and some nice orange zest. A little dry as well.

Taste/Mouthfeel - Tastes of zesty citrus like hop bitterness, finishes with a wonderful pineapple fruitiness. Malts on the finish as well, and the hop bitterness lingers on the palate just a tad. Some orange peel, again pretty balanced. Mouthfeel is smooth but a little thin, with some lively carbonation on the palate. Has a lite-medium body.

Drinkability/Final thoughts - Not my favorite APA but affordable & extremely drinkable. I could enjoy about 2-3 of these on just about any day. I liked the zesty fruity flavors of this beer. Pretty sessionable, not bad. Worth a try. (1,011 characters)

3/4" head with nice lace and a firm cap atop a clear orange amber brew....

The nose is resounding citric... tangerine even..

Flavor is the same... zesty orange.. some doughy maltiness adds a little bit of sweetness.. with a light smack of caramel.. really balanced yet you still know this is a fresh PNW pale ale... medium body with a lively carbonation... even the burps taste like tangerine juice essence..

This is actually pretty damn good pale ale... I could see drinking this one for a while in the long run, and it makes me wish I would have picked up a 6'er today to have a fridge beer... (670 characters)

Dark amber colored ale with a small tan colored head. This is a shade of amber I could call Bronze.

Smell is strongly of northwest style hops, very much a pine and grapefruit scent. Very strong hop resins, the malt is just a honeysuckle trace this is very much a hop beer.

The taste starts out neutral in sweetness and very hoppy, grapefruit in the first taste. Tropical fruit flavors and pine, just like the scent this is a hop beer. Little bit of lemon shows up after a while, wonder how many IBUs this is.

This beer pours a clear bright ruby color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes into a small cap of lacing. The aroma is of floral hops, tea, hints of citrus. It is very nuanced. The taste leans towards the hops, but it is quite balanced. Tea, flowers, cirtus, and nice caramel notes throughout. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with lively carbonation, and a smooth texture. Overall, this is a very good APA. I was really not expecting something this good from Widmer Brothers so kudos to them. I will certainly drink this again. (535 characters)

pours a surprisingly rich bold amber hue with hints of gold and ruby. A strong one-finger head of an eggshell color erupts seemingly from nowhere and has impressive retention, deflating to a foamy cap leaving impressive spongy lacing down the glass.

Taste is delciously hoppy with that same cakey malt... almost banana bread and vanilla muffin malt backbone, with some amazing grapefruit and herbal hop notes. a light but delicious clean bitterness. Deliciously bright juicy citrus hop profile without being overly hoppy - the pale and caramel malts balance almost perfectly, yielding something not all that far from perfect, and more citrusy and vibrant than your average APA.

mouthfeel is smooth, a touch thick for the style, fairly creamy with ample carbonation. Truly enjoyable to drink, it goes down smoothly and has just enough crispness and light drying to keep things feeling light and uplifting.

I'm sold. this may be my apa/ipa six-pack choice for a while. Enjoyable on all levels, with enough character and pop to make each sip enjoyable. definitely one of my favorite recent bottled offerings from Widmer (by a long shot, actually). Definitely worth a try if you have any appreciation for balanced hopping what-so-ever. (1,435 characters)

Pours a burnt copper hue with good clarity and a sizable tuft of off-white head. Good retention and excellent lacing...liking the looks of this one. The smell is even better. Dare I say it? Fuck yea'. This is the best-smelling American Pale Ale I've encountered. Pungent, skunky-green & citrus hops (Simcoe & Centennial?) burst forth from the pint, balanced perfectly by a juicy, sweet caramel malt presence and tropical fruits. Mouth-watering, to say the least.

On to the taste...unfortunately it's a slight letdown. The hops start off with a spicy-fresh burst of greenery, but the malts pursue with somewhat of an off-putting flavor of burnt caramel and nuts. A slightly sour finish lingers too long. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium (a bit thick for the style), but with a good carbonation level. I do like the bitterness on the beginning, but unfortunately this beer doesn't hold up in the long run. Still, it's a decent brew that deserves at least one try from the hop-lovers out there. (1,085 characters)

Thin white head but with good retention and lots of big, popping bubbles, not much lacing. Red copper color just deep enough to hold your gaze and get past transparency, nice fade to burnt orange hues along the rims. Admirable mix of pink and white grapefruit in the nose, floral with chamomile tea notes, spoonful of pine sap, no herbaceous nor ultra-sweet elements, stays within itself and on message, you could sniff it for some time. Medium-bodied, however, most of it is palate pressure and a sense of marching forward rather than flavor. The grapefruit and tangerine citrus starts things off well, after that there's momentary pine, green hay, wet stone aspects. But after that it's evanescence leads to homogeneity. Credibly, the carbonation ratchets it down to fit the body profile. It's drinkable enough for a bottle or two before your mind starts to wander. If the palate could match the nose, that would be something. (928 characters)

New one from Widmer here in Salem.In appearance, amber,clear with a nice sized frothy eggshell white head.very strong hop aromas, citric mainlly but a touch of pine.Again the hops dominate the flavour, making it seem somehow like a lemon flavoured ale!!! Odd. Some small malt in the undertow but not much.I found that the palte let it down, slightly too thin.Its drinkable OK..like an IPA lite. . Good stuff (412 characters)

Had this beer on tap at Cadillac Ranch in Tempe, AZ. This was the closest place I could find that was already carrying it, but the place is not my favorite.

Hard to judge the color as the bar was dark and lit with red mood lighting. There was virtually no head, and very little carbonation detected.

The aroma was very distinctly grapefruit, as was much of the flavor. Again, I was still a bit congested drinking this.

The taste was refreshing and clean. Very little maltiness to balance out the citrus hoppiness. Aftertaste very reminiscent of grapefruit juice. Finish had a bit of a drying effect (think tart lemonade), so not really a thirst-quencher, but a solid refreshing beer none the less.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer very much (four times over). I look forward to trying it out of the bottle at home. (876 characters)